May 8th, 2019

Imagine boarding a plane to travel halfway around the world—a journey that would take about 20 hours in a 747. But you reach your destination in a mere four hours, thanks to a hypersonic flight traveling at speeds in excess of Mach 5.

This may sound like science fiction, but such travel will soon be an economical reality powered by SABRE engines.

SABRE™ is a new class of engine under development for propelling both high-speed aircraft and spacecraft. SABRE engines are unique in delivering the fuel efficiency of a jet engine with the power and high-speed ability of a rocket.

Unlike jet engines, which are only capable of propelling a vehicle up to Mach 3, SABRE engines are capable of Mach 5.4 in air-breathing mode—for traveling around the globe, and Mach 25 in rocket mode—allowing orbital access.

SABRE’s blend of traditional jet engine mechanics and rocket propulsion allows for horizontal take-off and landings, enabling future spaceports to accommodate the next generation of aircraft and spacecraft. Furthermore, while most rockets are good only for a single use, SABRE’s unique design permits it to come back to Earth to power another flight—again and again.

After outlining precise specifications, identifying optimal materials and metallurgy, and mapping out a never-before-attempted thermal process, Reaction Engines turned to Consarc Engineering, a subsidiary of USA based Consarc Corporation, with a half-century of experience in vacuum and controlled atmosphere melting. Consarc Engineering, was the only partner in the UK…